


I'm Sorry

by DragonOnHoliday



Category: Henry Danger (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, based on the new trailer, hard to explain lol, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23022190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonOnHoliday/pseuds/DragonOnHoliday
Summary: It was supposed to be a good day.Henry was just supposed to finish up school for the week and head to work with Charlotte and Jasper. Ray had wanted to watch some movies with everyone (probably binge-watch the Galaxy War series, knowing him.) and Piper was supposed to be coming along later to join them.It was supposed to be simple.(Afterwards, as Henry crawls into his bed at 3 in the morning, he’ll realize it was the complete opposite.)☆☆☆A.K.A Henry and Ray are both bad at words, things happen, and it has to get worse before it gets better.
Relationships: Charlotte & Henry Hart, Henry Hart & Piper Hart, Henry Hart & Ray Manchester, Jasper Dunlop & Henry Hart
Comments: 12
Kudos: 70





	1. Everything's Changing (I'm Getting Older)

**Author's Note:**

> Welllllll...I did not think this was gonna happen.
> 
> IMPORTANT FOR THE STORY:
> 
> The argument is mostly based on the new trailer. Henry is in the late parts of 17 in this, and I can't remember how old he was canonical when Piper found out he is Kid Danger, so in this she already knows. Some slight spoilers for the ep Hour of Power btw.
> 
> Rant lol:
> 
> I feel like everyone is OOC and that it's not as good as it could be, but I'm still posting it because I said I would and the finale is coming out soon and I NEED TO GET THIS OUTTTTT
> 
> Also I meant to finish the Mini Ninjas story, but that's also on the back burner because the present tense messed me up,,,
> 
> ANYWAY hope you enjoy!!!!

_Friday, November 4th_

○●○●

It was supposed to be a good day.

Henry was just supposed to finish up school for the week and head to work with Charlotte and Jasper. Ray had wanted to watch some movies with everyone (probably binge-watch the Galaxy War series, knowing him. The new movie was coming out soon, and they all had to recap.) and Piper was supposed to be coming along later to join them.

It was supposed to be simple. Keyword _supposed._

(Afterwards, as Henry crawls into his bed at 3 in the morning, he’ll realize it was the complete opposite.

No, he does not crawl into bed at 3 am because he was up watching Galaxy Wars. God, did he wish it was because of that.)

It was a normal beginning. He arrived with Jasper and Charlotte to the Man Cave right after school, the three of them throwing their backpacks on the couch after they stepped out of the ever-broken elevator.

“Man, I’m so glad for the weekend,” Jasper groaned dramatically, sliding lazily into the couch. Charlotte rolled her eyes, but a fond and somewhat-annoyed smile settled on her face.

“Maybe if you had actually studied for that science test, it would've been less long and stressful.” She told him, and Henry joined Jasper’s sound of disgust.

“I do not see what you are complaining about. Science is fun!” Schwoz chirped in as he walked into the room from the back and waved at them excitedly.

Henry carefully eyed the blaster in his other hand. He’s learned his lesson one time too many.

"How was school?" Schwoz asked, and Henry, although still eyeing the weapon, felt a little warm knowing that he cared.

"Lame," Henry and Jasper said at the same time as Charlotte's "Okay."

"'Okay,'" Schwoz scoffed, already heading to the rooms behind the tubes to do who-knows-what. "Well, science is not lame."

Jasper snickered, "Says the scientist."

“I heard that!”

The three of them laughed, and Charlotte headed over to the computers.

“Let’s see what the news has to say tonight,” she said, turning on the channel. They were talking about the meaning of crickets when Ray trotted in, grinning widely.

“The new Galaxy Wars trailer is out!” He exclaimed, jumping up and down and kicking the air.

Henry and Jasper glanced at each other, grinning madly before they joined his little dance while Charlotte whooped. Which is how Schwoz walked back into the room to see, blaster mysteriously absent.

“The trailer?” He asked, which made Ray nod his head enthusiastically, “Well, what are we waiting for! Let’s watch it!”

Waves of cheer wove through the Man Cave as they all huddled onto the couch together and Schwoz lowered the TV above the elevator, pulling up the trailer, “3...2...1!”

It was your average action movie trailer - fast-paced and full of drama. There was only one piece that truly caught Henry’s eye; and apparently, it didn't just catch his attention.

_There were three guys; two villains and one masked hero, all pointing lasers at each other. The two villains seemed to realize something was different from the hero from the last movie._

_“You’re...You’re…?”_

_“That’s right.”_

They all gaped at the screen in front of them, speechless at the huge plot twist that was revealed. They knew that voice, and that...that was not the original hero's voice.

That voice was the hero's best friend.

_“But...That...that’s impossible! You...You’re dead!”_

_“Who says I’m the same guy? Now, prepare to get knocked,” they paused and turned to almost face the camera, “out of this world.”_

_The bad guys stood unmoving, obviously star-struck before getting punched in the face. They groaned as they fell to the floor, and the scene soon changed to a random space fight._

“That last part’ll be what happens when you become Captain Man,” Ray laughed over the volume of the trailer, seemingly out of his momentary shock and elbowed his ribs. Henry chuckled, but his blood froze in his body once the sentence fully settled, the rest of the trailer became background noise as he processed it.

“When I become Captain Man?” he echoed, ignoring Charlotte and Jasper’s pointed looks; he knows they’re likely thinking of that particular ‘spill-the-tea’ night after the whole incident with Drex.

~

_It was two weeks after Drex had made his scene._

_Henry was barely sleeping at night, and he could tell Jasper wasn’t sleeping well either if the bags under his eyes and how jumpy he had become were any indication._

_It had been Charlotte's idea. She said she had been tired of them running themselves into the ground and being, frankly, stupid._

_Honestly, he was sure she wasn't doing well either, but she refused to confirm it._

_Besides, it wasn’t the first time they had a sleepover. They've done it a couple times even before Henry had become Kid Danger - they just weren't as troubling._

(Henry now realizes they were becoming more frequent as time moved on, which was a little scary. What had once been a once in a while thing became monthly, which soon became weekly, and he doesn’t recall ever having as many nightmares as he does now.)

_This certain night, the three of them were all sitting on Henry’s bed, going in a circle as they announced their problems. A little routine that quickly became natural._

_“Drex scared me like nothing else,” Jasper had said, rubbing his eyes with the hand Charlotte wasn't holding. “I almost thought- if he found out I was lying-”_

_He shook his head violently, and Henry wrapped his arms around him as he started to cry._

_“I know, buddy,” he said. “Drex is scary. But he isn't going to hurt you.”_

_They waited until he calmed down, Henry holding him and Charlotte rubbing his back silently._

_“Drex scared me too,” Henry told them, but mostly because he thought Jasper deserved to hear his too. “And I think...I don’t think I can pair up with him.”_

_Charlotte frowned, “Henry...”_

_“I can’t do this job forever,” he had gone on, “and I don’t know if I could. I know I’ll never be as good as Drex, but I know I’m good enough.”_

_Both Charlotte and Jasper looked somewhat relieved._

_“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Jasper murmured into his shoulder, still wrapped in an embrace. Henry winced, closing his eyes._

_“Ray had said when I had first become Kid Danger that someday I might be Captain Man. But now, after Drex, after all those countless criminals, I don't...I don’t think I want that anymore.”_

_They had both looked beyond shocked, mouths opened wide enough to catch flies, and Henry wanted to laugh at their expressions._

_“We’ll figure it out,” Jasper had said confidently once he regained his composure, snuggling into his chest even more if that was possible._

_“And we’ll support whatever decision you make,” Charlotte finished, smiling tiredly._

_And later, while none of them would admit it, they had had a better sleep that night than the previous two weeks combined._

_~_

He had been 16 that night. Nearly two years later, and he’s surprised they had remembered. It’s not like the conversation ever came up again.

They were both gesturing their hands wildly at him, and once Henry shook himself out of the flashback, he knew there was no escaping this.

"Hey, uh, Ray?" Henry started casually, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, Kid? What's up?" Ray didn’t turn to look at him, but it was little comfort.

"Listen...I'm sorry, but…”

_Come on, say it!_

Ray did turn around after this, an eyebrow raised in concern.

“I don't...I don't want to be Captain Man." He finally finished, his stomach flipping violently.

Ray froze on the spot, staring at him with wide eyes. Schwoz paused the trailer, and the entire room was so silent you could hear a pin drop, each second passing making the atmosphere that much tenser.

Charlotte cleared her throat after the too-long silence, probably hoping to spark a conversation, “Ray-”

“Why don’t you two go home?” He cut off, not taking his eyes off Henry. A feeling of dread washed over him, and them leaving was the _last_ thing he wanted. They both didn’t move, clearly unsure of what to do, and Ray pushed his lips together.

Taking this as their cue, Charlotte placed her hand on his shoulder as Jasper moved as fast as a sloth to the elevator.

“Call us,” she whispered, and soon they were both gone, leaving a very quiet Schwoz still sitting on the couch. Ray immediately stood and started pacing as he began his rant.

"The oath, Henry. You took that oath. You had said-"

Oh _hell no._ He’s going to stop Ray right there.

He jumped up so he was face-to-face with Ray. "I was thirteen! I'm seventeen now, and the oath was for _Kid Danger._ "

“Oh, I get it.”

His voice was so clear and positive, and Henry just wanted to get it over with, “Get what?”

“Well, you're obviously scared of being stuck here in Swellview with me!”

That was a slap to the face.

Ray was his _idol-_ He was his _hero._ He was one his best friends!

“No-” he tried to say, desperate to change where this was headed, but Ray seemed to have other ideas.

“Really? Then what is it, Kid? Because that's what it sounds like!” Ray sounded so so _angry_ , his eyebrows drawn together with his lips curled down, and it hurt knowing he was the one causing this pure and raw rage.

“Ray, _please_ -”

"Perhaps we should all try to calm down," Schwoz interrupted, looking at Ray as if he would explode. Ray ignored him and pointed a finger at Henry.

“Or, maybe, you don’t want this job anymore? Hm? You're done living this life?”

Henry remembered reading somewhere that anger was a secondary emotion to being upset or hurt, but he banished that thought as he tried to gain control of the situation.

“It’s not that!”

“Tell me then!” The desperation in Ray’s voice threw him off, and he paused.

“I…”

Of all the times to hesitate, his brain chose now. He made a frustrated noise as he grabbed his hair, because he had so many _broken sentences_ and _explanations_ but he couldn’t form them in a single _straight paragraph_ and the way Ray was staring at him made him feel as if he had been hit by a _brick_ and he _can’t-_

Ray scoffed at him, and he was unknowingly stomping on Henry's heart. “If you don’t want the job,” Ray practically spat at his feet, “then you might as well leave. Don't bother wasting any more of my time as you have been for the past couple of years.”

His hurt was quickly replaced by anger that rippled through his whole body like a pebble thrown in water, and his next words slipped out before he could think.

“You wouldn’t care either way, would you?”

“That’s not-” Ray tried to say, but Henry kept going.

“After everything, you wouldn’t care if I stayed or walked through those doors,” he continued, hating the burning in his eyes. “You’d find another sidekick to replace me. You already did that with _Drex,_ yeah?”

_Please tell me differently. Please tell me you need me. Please tell me you appreciate and care for me, just as much as I do you._

_Please please, please-_

Ray narrowed his eyes. "At least Drex knew how to fight."

Henry could feel his throat tightening as his world shattered around him.

Ray...Ray didn’t need him. Why should he? He’s _Captain freaking Man._ And Henry knew he had trouble fighting sometimes. He knew he was still learning.

He was _trying._ He thought Ray would see that.

He was wrong. He was so wrong _._

He stared down at his wrist before slipping his watch off. He steeled his face and tossed it over to Schwoz, who looked terrified as he fumbled for it.

“Seems you don’t need me after all, Ray. Sorry I let you down.”

He stepped into the elevator and didn’t stop as the doors closed. He didn’t hesitate to walk out the doors to Junk ‘N Stuff, nor did he pause anytime during his walk home.

He felt...numb.

It didn’t truly click in about what just happened until he got home. Piper was half-way down the stairs when he arrived, stumbling through the door like he was drunk.

“Hey, I was just on my- Henry?”

She looked concerned, and the laugh that escaped his lips turned into a sob midway.

“I’m not Kid Danger anymore.”

“Wait, _what?_ ” She all but squealed, and he tucked his arms into himself defensively.

“I…I quit.”

"Why?"

“He wanted me to be Captain Man. I can’t be Captain Man, Pipes.”

She gaped at him before rushing over, grabbing him gently by the arm and dragging him over to the couch. She pushed him down, one of her nicer pushes (trust him, she's pushed him a _lot,_ ) and sat across from him.

“Ok, why not?” she asked gently and Henry knew she was concerned.

Kid Danger may have been her idol, but Henry Hart will always be her brother.

“I knew I couldn't be Kid Danger my whole life,” he explained, playing with his hands. How ironic that he could find the words now. “I have a future somewhere, but I was never going to just...leave. Ray...I thought he would understand.” He buried his head in his hands, shoulders shaking violently.

“After everything, I thought he would understand.”

“I’m sorry,” she told him, placing a hand on his back. “I’ll call Charlotte and Jasper?”

“Yeah,” he muttered, closing his eyes with a sigh, “Thanks.”

She nodded and headed for the kitchen, leaving Henry to himself. He didn’t pay attention to the calls or when they ended, keeping his eyes closed as he zoned out, and finally being snapped out of his state only by Piper dangling her keys in front of his face a while later.

(She may have been accessing the Man Cave cameras, which Schwoz had given to her when she joined the team, after the calls to find out what had really happened. You can’t blame her either; as much as she loved her brother, he could be very vague sometimes.)

“We’re all going for a drive,” Piper smiled innocently, and Henry furrowed his eyebrows, “C’mon. We need to pick up Charlotte and Jasper first.”

“Where?”

“You'll see.” And he could tell by the look in her eyes that there wouldn't be any arguments.

“Fine.”

_One terrifying ten minute drive later…_

“Car!” Charlotte, Jasper, and Henry screamed at the same time, and Piper swerved the wheel to avoid it. She hit the brakes roughly, throwing everyone forward with various noises of surprise.

Really, she didn’t know why people still say she’s a bad driver. She’s gotten better and has a licence, after all.

Piper swiftly pulled up to the curve beside their destination - Junk ‘N Stuff - and she could hear Henry hiss in the passenger seat.

“In and out,” Jasper promised him as he opened the back door and climbed out, Charlotte following right behind him. Piper got out of the car as Charlotte turned to Henry.

“You don’t have to come down. We’ll be less than five minutes.”

He still looked reluctant but followed them in nonetheless, stopping at the counter.

“I shouldn’t,” he told them quietly, looking everywhere but at them, and Piper felt a new wave of anger.

Here's a hint: it wasn’t at Henry.

“Sure,” Charlotte said gently, “We’ll be right up.”

He nodded and the three of them left towards the elevator.

“I’m gonna slap a man. Hard.” Charlotte told her once they were inside, and Piper grinned viciously.

The short ride down couldn’t have felt longer, and her patience was already starting to wear out when they reached the Man Cave. Schwoz was at the computers, tinkering away with one thing or another with Ray standing beside him.

“Ray,” Piper greeted nonchalantly, trying to figure out their best course of action.

Schwoz smiled and waved at them, but Ray only tilted his head as he crossed his arms. Jasper waved back to Schwoz, smiling sadly.

“What're you doing here?” Ray asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Good question.”

They had discussed what to do on the phone when Piper had called them. It was a hard decision, but they had all agreed.

Jasper stepped forward, his hands clenched in fists. His face had a mixture of serious anger, and even Piper had to admit it unnerved her to see that expression on his face, “We quit.”

_“What?”_

Funny that he sounded so surprised, in Piper's opinion. He had no right to sound that surprised.

“We. Don't. Work. For. You. Anymore.” Jasper said slowly, each word punctuated with a pointed finger.

“If you can’t respect Henry’s wishes, or ours, you don’t give _us_ any reason to respect _you,_ ” Charlotte explained further, almost snarling. “We were here for him. Not you.”

Ray’s eyes snapped between the three of them, surprise and hurt still stark across his face. “All three of you?”

They nodded, and his face became stony. “Fine. Go. See if I care.”

They did just that, and Piper took satisfaction in the fact that none of them looked back.

They met Henry upstairs, who was apparently watching the exchange from the cameras behind the counter.

“Guys-” he started, but Jasper interrupted him.

“You matter more than this job.”

And god, Henry’s looked like he was about to cry, his adam apple bobbing as he swallowed thickly.

“Let’s go get some ice cream,” Piper suggested quickly, knowing that a subject change would be appreciated. The other three looked weirdly at her before nodding.

They stayed out nearly the whole night out by the pond in Swellview park, sitting quietly and enjoying the cool breeze that whisked between them.

(No, Veronika - whoever she was - did not show up.)

Jasper and Charlotte decided to stay the night over their house and the three of them all piled into Henry’s room while Piper stayed in hers with the door open, just in case.

They all knew the next while would be a bumpy road, but they were all willing to go through it. Thick and thin.

After all, it’s what a _real_ best friend would do.


	2. Red Dawn (Fate's Dealing It's Hand)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo...suprise!  
> (Just wanted to say there's a tiny mention of blood around the middleish of this chapter/the end of this chapter if that makes you guys uncomfortable)  
> Chapter 3 + 4 will probably be longer than this. I'm not entirely impressed with the outcome of this chapter but oh well, it's written, and now we can get to the good stuff :)  
> It's mostly just how Henry's feeling right now? Like his thoughts and his feelings towards Ray. I'm not gonna spoil it, but the other two chapters probably won't be like this, so if you don't like it, no worries lol. Kinda just a filler.  
> (Chapter name is from the song Beginning of the End by All Good Things, which is the same song that was in the final trailer)  
> Enjoy!!

_Sunday, December 4th_

○●○●

One month.

One long month since he gave up his dream job. A whole month of being normal. Going to school, doing homework, hanging with the friends he had rarely gotten to once he got the job.

Sidney and Oliver were overly joyed once he, Jasper, and Charlotte were around much more to hang around with, and Ms. Shapen seemed to be impressed with him once he started attending every class. Even the _principal_ appeared to be glad to see him back in school if the way she smiles and pats his back nearly every day is something to go by.

(If Henry had thought that being Kid Danger had been hard, he never thought that life without it would be so _weird._ Uneventful.

But...he also didn't realize the life he had had outside of Kid Danger. _This_ was Henry Hart's life. _This_ was the one he threw away.

He promised himself he would catch up with everything. That no matter what, he couldn't ever toss his life away again.)

Jasper and Charlotte still came by every weekend to sleepover since the argument, and he noticed that Piper keeps a closer eye on the news ever since, attempting to distract him every time Captain Man was mentioned. It's easy to not have to pretend it never happened and act like everything was good anyway since his parents were still barely around, off doing who knows what nearly every day.

A few reporters have also tried to ask Captain Man about Kid Danger whenever he's in an interview, but he had been avoiding those questions. So far there hasn't been any news on him.

Henry doesn’t know if he should be relieved or hurt.

He doesn't bother to give it much thought after that. Charlotte and Jasper were still over from the night before, and everyone was currently piled up on the couch; Jasper was cuddled into Henry’s left side while Charlotte was lying on top of both of them, her head in Henry’s lap. Piper was sitting on the floor below them, and Henry watched with amusement as Charlotte absent-mindedly played with her hair as she watched the TV. They were _supposed_ to be watching the new episode of Dog Judge, but it wasn’t even ten minutes in before the screen switched to the news.

“Oh come on,” Jasper groaned into Henry’s arm. “I don’t care what Ray has done now.”

“Not all of the breaking news’ are about Captain Man,” Piper muttered, resting her chin on her hand.

As if the news had wanted to prove her wrong, it _was_ about Captain Man. He had just defeated the Toddler - who had escaped _again -_ and was being interviewed about it. Jasper let out a low grumble under his breath, and Henry could _definitely_ hear a few curse words in there too.

 _"Let's turn it over to Captain Man, who just defeated the Toddler,"_ Trent said, interrupting Jasper's complaints with a big smile.

It switched over to the interview instantaneously to a reporter in a fancy navy suit standing next to Swellview's hero, who was covered in dirt and sweat and wearing a small grin on his face.

 _"How did you manage to take down the Toddler?"_ The reporter asked, eyes wide and a bright smile on their face as they pointed the microphone a little too closely to Captain Man.

 _"Well, I found out where he was hiding, then I crashed through the window there, and I obviously won our fight."_ He stated proudly, using that _Superhero Voice™_ that they all used to admire. He was totally showing off as he pointed to the window, but the reporter seemed to be eating it up.

_"Amazing. And did your sidekick, Kid Danger, participate in bringing down this villain?"_

Just like that, Captain Man's smile started to waver, _"No. He didn't."_

 _"Where has Kid Danger been the past month? You've been avoiding all questions towards him, and the people of Swellview are starting to seem to be getting nervous with his absence,"_ The reporter looked genuinely concerned, and Henry cracked a smile.

 _"Something came up. I'd rather not answer that question due to keeping privacy in our personal lives."_ It sounded like a practiced answer, robotic even, and he could feel Charlotte tense up like a brick.

_"Interesting. Would you say Kid Danger is out of commission?"_

Captain Man looked chagrined, and Henry could tell he was grinding his teeth. _"I'm sorry, that's another personal question."_

 _"Really?"_ The reporter's eyes widened even more, _"_ _When will Kid Danger be coming back?"_

"Let's turn the channel," Jasper said as he grabbed the remote, but Henry put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Jasper pursued his lips as his eyebrows furrowed, but he slowly set the remote down.

_"I don't know."_

_"...You're certain he will come back though, right?"_ They looked almost...scared as they asked.

 _"I don't know."_ He repeated and didn’t offer anything more.

Jasper did turn the channel after the pause in the interview, leaving the four of them to sit there in silence. He could feel the three of them watching him cautiously, and he sighed in exasperation.

“Hen?”

“I don’t regret it.” He told them, the same thing he’s been telling them the whole month, and he hoped they couldn't hear the uncertainty in his voice.

He doesn’t, anyway. No way. It’s all just fine. It wasn’t even as big of a deal as they were making it. Henry doesn’t regret quitting.

...Except, he kind of does. A lot. He regretted it the moment he walked out Junk ‘N Stuffs door, but he couldn’t admit that. Ray had been like the father/older brother he never had. Ray had been there when his _own father_ wasn’t. He had cared for him, had invested in his life, supported him. Losing Ray (and Schwoz of course) was what stung the most out of it all.

The couch moving brought him out of his thoughts as Piper got up off the floor with a sigh. Charlotte moved to get up to, accidentally digging her elbow into Henry's thigh in the process. He made a face, and she shot up with a meek _'sorry!'_

“Well, we should probably start heading home,” Jasper said, coughing a little too hard as he glanced at his phone.

Henry nodded and went to get up too, but Piper put her hand out, digging out her keys in her back pocket with the other.

“We’re out of snacks.” Piper pointed out, twirling her keys, “And I’ll drop Charlotte and the loser off. I’m going to stay at a friend's house tonight, anyways. I’ll just bring back the food tomorrow.”

“On a school night?” Jasper asks, standing up with a jaw-breaking yawn. Piper scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“Yes, _dad._ I’ll be going to school tomorrow with her. Will you be ok here, Henry?”

It was funny seeing her act like the younger and older sister simultaneously. He nodded and flashed a thumbs-up, “Have fun, Pipes. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

She nodded and gave him her own thumbs-up while shoving the other two out the door despite their complaints and rushed good-byes, and Henry is all too soon left to sit on the couch with the news still on in the background.

He’s tempted to just crawl in his bed and sleep the rest of the day away. His burning eyes and the yawn that escapes him only prove his point. But he knows that even if he did manage to fall asleep and not just stare at his ceiling for hours, it’s either going to be restless or full of nightmares. Which sucks, because he’s so _tired._

_Why am I still even having nightmares? I haven't been on the job for weeks._

“Ok, so this is going nowhere. I need to stop moping,” he grumbled, turning off the TV and standing up.

A walk would be good for him. He could ponder his thoughts in the fresh air, and maybe then they'll make sense.

(He's grabbing at straws at this point, and he knows it.)

Henry picked up his jacket that was draped across the back of the couch and headed for the door, barely remembering to lock it in his haste to leave. He starts with a brisk jog, enjoying the way his legs pump and the cool air that slightly burns his lungs.

“Nothing a stroll can’t fix,” he huffed to himself, once he was about 2 blocks down the road. He slowed to a walking pace as he hit a crosswalk, waving at the blue car that let him cross. A quick look showed a man and a kid in the vehicle, looking like they were laughing and goofing off about something before driving away, leaving Henry to reluctantly continue on the other side.

 _Reminds me of the time Ray picked me up after school when I couldn’t make it on time to work,_ Henry’s traitorous brain whispered.

...Well, on that subject...

It hurt Henry to think about it, but Ray has changed through the years.

He had always been so...gentle, almost. He had always been cautious of Henry, always aware. Telling him to stay in school, how keeping good grades was important, fussing over the smallest injury.

Yeah, he had hated the babying. He had liked to think he was a big boy who could take care of himself without someone breathing down his neck. He could, for the most part.

It’s just, after a while Ray seemed to...slip. He started to act that he didn’t care if Henry was in school or not, wasn’t worried about his grades or social life. He’s not saying that he _should_ care all the time, it just hurt a little about how he downplayed it is all.

It’s only when Ray started downplaying some of his injuries did Henry truly start to realize something had changed. He never liked the constant monitoring, but _come on,_ Ray didn’t have to keep hitting his freshly broken arm when they were listening to the news after their fight with Dr. Karaté, or turn his best friend against him when he didn’t believe him when he was sick!

With that in mind, he took a sharper right than needed about 8 blocks from his house, his mind set on where to go. Swellview Park was always nice this time of day; not too many people but just enough where it would be pleasant. It wouldn't be too far from where he was currently anyways.

It was a quiet evening on the streets, different than the inner turmoil Henry was feeling. A few cars passed every so often, but other than that the only noises were the sounds of his shoes hitting the sidewalk and the flapping of the occasional flag in the soft wind. It’s peaceful, and exactly one of the reasons he loved Swellview.

He arrives shortly after to the park, relatively in an ok mood, the walk there letting Henry clear his mind of everything. He waved at the security guards that were at the gate, smiling as they waved back at him politely.

He took his time walking through, savouring the view as if it weren't his hundredth time strolling through. He arrived right at the pond before he paused, taking in the best sight in the whole area. A small family of ducks were floating by the little fountain in the middle of the water, quacking at each other as they followed the leader in circles, which Henry took a quick picture of to send to Piper.

The sun was starting to set, pinks and oranges splashed throughout the sky like a canvas. If he looked close enough, he could swear he saw some reds in there too.

He’s starting to hate the colour red, he realizes as he squints his eyes to get a better look at the sky. Red wasn’t just a colour for Kid Danger - Red _meant_ _danger._ Red meant blood and anger and hurt.

He’s seen enough blood in his lifetime, and too much of it has been his own.

He stood stiffly, memorized by the colours. Something about them unnerved him. Well, maybe not the sunset, but _something_ is making him on edge.

Something was screaming _danger._

 _Better be on guard tonight anyways,_ he thought bitterly, his previous good mood gone as soon as it had started to come. _Seems as if there's a crime wave lately._

He’s not sure if it’s because the criminals have realized Kid Danger has been absent or they just want to give the superheroes a hard time.

Most of them were petty criminals anyways. A shoe robber here or a purse snatcher there. Most things that the police could deal with if there weren't so many. They aren't like the real villains. They weren't like Dr. Minyak, or the Toddler, or, god, _Drex._

They aren't the ones Henry has nearly died from multiple times. The ones that hurt him so bad sometimes he could barely move for a week afterward.

(He's surprised he's not dead by now. He's had so many near-death experiences that he's grown used to them.

How much bought time has he been living on? How many lucky coincidences have happened for him to be standing here and thinking about it right now?)

His stomach turned viciously at that train of thought, and he stumbled to the nearby bench so he could sit and pretend like his legs weren't starting shaking like leaves.

 _It seemed to be calming down the past few days anyway,_ he told himself. Fewer crimes were on the news, his TwitFlash was pretty well dead, and he hadn't seen many police cars on the streets lately.

But he still felt…useless. He _liked_ helping people. He liked fighting crime, despite the consequences.

And...maybe he could lend a hand. He didn't _have_ to be a sidekick to help. Henry could just help bring a couple of criminals back to jail when they became too overwhelming for the cops. As long as he was careful, he would be fine. No near-deaths, fewer injuries.

And if a new hero was to arrive in Swellview, it would surely raise Captain Man's attention, right? And when Henry reveals himself, Ray might be impressed enough to take him back!

 _Orrrrr,_ an annoying voice in the back of his head piped up, _you could just go apologize to Ray. You could easily clear everything up-_

"No," he hissed quietly to himself. "No. Ray can come to _me._ If he needs me, I'll be here. And if he doesn't, then I don't need _him._ "

_But what if Ray is waiting for you-?_

Henry groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Stop thinking about it," he chided himself, running his hands down his face.

It was all a stupid idea. It would never work. Henry doubted he would do well on completely his own, now that he thought about it. He always had _someone_ to back him up, be it Schwoz, Ray, Charlotte, Jasper, or even Piper.

Henry wasn't a hero - he was only the _sidekick._

He slowly counted to five before sighing and putting his hands in his pockets, and with a deep breath, he stood up and started to head home. He made sure to keep a bounce in each one of his steps, making his hair bounce as the cool breeze gently swooshed his hair and face. He would go home, take a shower, and attempt to get some shut-eye for school tomorrow.

It's really unfortunate that his earlier thought about the crime wave seemed to come true as he heard a loud, hair-raising scream come from nearby, just as he makes it out of the park. On instinct alone, he took off running towards the sound, his footfalls echoing alongside the blood pumping on his ears. He sped into the nearest alley, barely taking a second to relish in the fact that it was correct and his skills aren't getting rusty or to survey the area.

He was met with a man in a black ski mask and a woman with her purse clutched to her chest at the end of the alleyway. The man had a gun pointed at the poor, terrified woman who was trapped against the wall, and Henry rushed over and reached blindly for the weapon as the man turned to face him. He didn’t disarm him, but he got the man far enough from the woman that she had enough room to escape.

“Go!” He told her as he wrestled the man to the ground. “Get out of here! Call the cops!”

He heard more than saw her running away, and relief washed over him once he was sure she was gone. The man pretty well gave up after that, letting the gun be kicked out of his hand and be pinned to the ground with ease with his right arm behind his back, the gun within arms reach.

“You’re dumber than I thought,” the man laughed at him. It took a second for his statement to click in, and Henry furrowed his eyebrows. 

“What are you talking about?” He demanded, digging his knee into the man's back.

The man only smiled, sending shivers up Henry's spine. “Nap time, boy.”

Henry didn’t have time to laugh at the ridiculous statement before the man jerked his body to the side, elbowing him in the face with his free arm and rolled away as soon as Henry let go of him and collapsed onto his back. He immediately felt something warm slide down his face, and he lifted a tentative hand to his nose, gasping at the sickening pain that pulsed through it. His hand came away sticky and wet and _red,_ and _yep, his nose would definitely be bruised tomorrow._

In his pain-induced distraction, Henry didn’t notice the man scrambling for the gun until he was standing above him. He looked up with squinted eyes, and the man grinned cruelly down at him.

“It’s the beginning of the end, _Kid.”_ the man snarled, and before Henry could react he swung his arm back before striking the gun forward like a crowbar.

Stars exploded simultaneously with the concerning _crunch_ that rang in his ears, and the last thing Henry remembered is a feeling of white-hot pain that flared throughout his head and how the world spun before fading into a misty haze.

And he knew, deep down, he was screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also have another story planned?? It takes place right after Henry loses his powers, and he, Jasper, and Charlotte decide to go on a road trip to get away from their problems for a while. Unfortunately, they kinda forget to tell Ray they would be gone, and Schwoz and Ray get super worried about them and head out to hunt for the missing kids. Basically a found family/team as family bonding fic because I love these guys lmao. I'd really appreciate it if you guys would let me know if you would be interested!  
> Hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> ((Also my Tumblr is birdie-writes-stuff if you want to check for the occasional update.))

**Author's Note:**

> Any mistakes will be fixed as soon as I can get to them. Thanks for reading, and I should be back soon with another update :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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